Professor Yu testifies before the U.S. International Trade Commission

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Drake University Law Professor Peter K. Yu, the Kern Family chair in intellectual property law and the founding director of the Intellectual Property Law Center, testified Tuesday before the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington, D.C.

The commission's hearing was titled "China: Effects of Intellectual Property Infringement and Indigenous Innovation Policies on the U.S. Economy." Read more about the hearing in a PC World article.

Initiated by a request from the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, this public hearing explored the impact of intellectual property infringement and indigenous innovation policies in China on the U.S. economy and jobs. A complete list of those who testified is available online.

In the hearing, Professor Yu addressed challenges in four different areas:

• Quantifying such intangibles as the promotion of free speech, free press and democratic transition
• Determining what should be covered as part of the American economy in a highly dynamic and globalized business environment
• Distinguishing between good and bad indigenous innovation policies in China
• Evaluating the relationship between intellectual property protection and a country's competitive position

"I am very excited that the commission is undertaking this much-needed and immensely challenging study," Yu said after the hearing.

"Many of the existing data supplied by the industries in the section 301 process or reported by the mass media are problematic and highly incredible," Yu added. "The more empirical data we have concerning the scope and extent of the intellectual property problems in China, the more likely we are to come up with sound policy reforms.

"The interaction between intellectual property protection and a country's competitive position is somewhat paradoxical. While stronger protection will undoubtedly benefit American intellectual property rights holders, stronger protection in China or elsewhere ultimately would make the United States less competitive. It will also reduce its competitive edge in attracting R&D industries, scientists and engineers."

Yu: a leading scholar in intellectual property law and policy

Yu is a preeminent expert in intellectual property law and policy in China and a leading expert in international intellectual property and communications law. A prolific scholar, he is the author or editor of four books and more than 70 law review articles and book chapters.

He serves as the general editor of The WIPO Journal, published by the World Intellectual Property organization in association with Sweet & Maxwell. He also sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of Copyright Society of the U.S.A. and the Journal of World Intellectual Property.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Yu holds a prestigious Wenlan scholar chair professorship at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, China, and has served as a visiting professor of law at the University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law.

He has spoken at events organized by U.N. organizations, national governments, and leading research institutions from around the world.

His lectures and presentations have spanned more than 20 countries on six continents, and his publications have been translated into Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese.

Drake Intellectual Property Law Center: an international hub

Since its establishment in fall 2007, the Drake Intellectual Property Law Center has become a premier center in studying intellectual property law and policy in China, one of the very few in the country. The center draws on Drake Law School's longstanding relationship of academic exchange and collaboration with Southwest University of Political Science and Law in Chongqing.

In October 2009, the Drake IP Law Center held a two-day conference on "Intellectual Property Developments in China: Global Challenge, Local Voices." The center has also hosted visiting scholars from Chongqing, Hangzhou, Shijiazhuang and Wuhan.

As director of the center, professor Yu is working on a handbook on intellectual property law and policy in China. This volume includes contributions from intellectual property academics from law schools in different parts of China as well as countries throughout the world.

In the past two years, U.S. News and World Report magazine has ranked the Drake IP Law Center consistently among the top 25 intellectual property law programs in the United States and one of the top five programs in the Midwest. The center serves as an international hub for research and education in the intellectual property area.